BEVERLY HILLS, April 13, (THEWILL) – A Federal High Court in Lagos Thursday ordered the temporary forfeiture of the $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23, 218,000 seized Wednesday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from Osborne Towers, a luxury residential complex in Ikoyi, Lagos, owned by Mr. Adamu Muazu, a former governor of Bauchi state and ex-National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Justice Muslim Hassan ordered that the funds be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government and adjourned till May 5, 2017, for anyone interested in the funds to show up before him to show cause why the money should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
The court’s ruling is coming on the heels of denial by Mrs. Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue, a former Managing Director, Retail, at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, that the staggering sum belongs to her.
Nnamdi-Ogbue, who was forced to retire from the oil giant on Wednesday over an unrelated matter, stated her position in a statement by her lawyer, Mr. Emeka Etiaba (SAN), on Thursday.
The EFCC had on Wednesday recovered the cash on the 7th floor of Osborne Towers located at 16, Osborne road Ikoyi. However, the commission did not disclose details regarding who owned the money.
But a source in the agency linked Ogbue to the money.
Muazu, who was also a former governor of Bauchi State has also denied ownership of the complex even though the construction firm that built the estate listed his name as client/owner on its website.
Nnamdi-Ogbue’s lawyer however said some online news outlets assumed the ex-NNPC boss owned the money because she lives on the second floor of the same building.
The attorney maintained that Nnamdi-Ogbue knew nothing about the money.
“The attention of our Client, Mrs. Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue has been drawn to the news making round in the news media to the effect that the large sums of money to wit: $43.4m and £27,000 uncovered by the EFCC from an apartment in Osborne Towers, Osborne Road, Ikoyi Lagos, Lagos State belong to her.
“By this Press Release, we inform the public (especially the news media) that the said sums of money and/or the apartment where the sums of money were found do not belong to our client. Our client is as shocked as many other Nigerians at the uncovering and recovery of the said sums of money and wishes to salute the courage and efforts of the EFCC in the war against corruption.
“She also wishes to commend the whistle-blower policy introduced by the Federal Government in the fight against corruption which policy has resulted in large scale uncovering and recovery of monies and assets.
“It is our client’s belief that the source and ownership of the said uncovered sums of money is known or eventually will be known by the EFCC in due course. There is, therefore, no need for conjecture or speculation.
“May we finally implore the news media to be more circumspect in their publications,” the statement added.
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